The Golden Dust
by Lady Breeze
Summary: Tsuruga Ren, the top programmer and at LME has been poisoned into a near death stage. As his spirit wanders around in the search for answers, what would this search lead him to? And why is this golden orbed girl able to see, hear and touch him when nobody else can? Join them on their journey to discover the truth and thwart an organization that threatens the world.
1. Chapter 1

*Skip beat and its characters are the sole property of Nakamura Sensei. I only own this fanfic's plot. (^_^)

The Golden Dust

Act 1 scene 1

How many times have you walked out of your home and thought about how the day will be? What project you will complete? What stuff you'll buy? And what will you do when you are finally back home? But ... what if you never return?

Not many delve upon the sordid realities of life. They just blind themselves and take everything for granted. Well we have one such person right here.

Kuon would have never guessed, that the day he signed his first contract with the biggest software company, would be the day he would... Die.

"Noooooooooo!" "Relax Yashiro! He isn't dead. He is in a suspended animation."

"What is that supposed to mean? It means his biological functions are a level close to nil. But he is alive. He is not in coma. His body is feigning death."

"Thanks , that news means so much. I seriously can't even think about Ren not being there. But how did this happen? The police haven't said anything. I deserve to know."

"Well considering that he was recently employed by the LME Corp., his company has inserted its own wing of 'analysts' into the investigations. It's like hijacking, except that it's good for the case. In all my years of experience as a forensic there is one thing that I can assure you, where LME butts in, the cases get solved super fast.

"Well I hope it helps. But how did he end up in this suspended anime thing?"

"You mean suspended animation? Well apart from some poisons few yoga practitioners are known to achieve it. But in Ren's case we are still to figure out the nature of the poison. I would not have given you this information, but I am making an exception because you are an old buddy of mine. But if anything escapes your lips."

"That would never happen, please be assured. But just tell me this one thing. How did he get poisoned when he had not left his apartment from the past two days?

"The poison was in his mail. It was in an ordinary envelope. But inside, there was a glass eye filled with some golden dust."

Act 1 scene 2

Kuon never believed in spirits. But examining the fact that he was currently outside an autopsy room overhearing his friend and the forensic talk about himself, without being seen or heard... He had been forced to reconsider.

He wondered why he was there, how he was there and for how long would it be like this. He knew well enough that his employers would go to any lengths to have him back . He had after all, the reputation for being the best programmer in the northern hemisphere. However, it was a good probability that his identity and parentage, which he had so earnestly worked at keeping hidden, would be revealed.

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(^_^) Hello everyone! This is my first fanfic. I am a perennial addict of the stories posted here and I am so grateful for the engaging fanfics. Please review! All suggestions and queries are welcome. (*_*)


	2. Chapter 2

Act 2 scene 1

The most exquisite golden eyes blazed across the road; staring into the depth of darkness it seemed as if they would find anything that is to be found, even in pitch black darkness.

"This is the search field allotted to us Kyouko. Mo! Would you quit staring like that? It's creepy beyond words."

"I am sorry Moko San (pout), but it's our first big assignment together and I want us to be successful. We will find out everything that is to be found out regarding the programmer and whoever has cast a sleeping spell over him. Hmm... Spell...magic... Magic wand... Fairies!"

With this our heroin Miss Kyouko Mogami floated away to her land of fantasies. Her best friend (although she would never admit) Kanae merely nodded her head as she saw her partner drift away from reality. Who believes in magic these days?

The two of them were a pair of 'analysts' specializing in collecting and analyzing data , who had been sent along with six others for sniffing out the person responsible for Ren's 'situation' .

LME was famous for being the best software company, but this was merely a ruse. LME was responsible for training and employing an army of data collectors and analyzers. They were the most formidable detectives or 'analysts' as they liked to call themselves. Basing their methods of pure logic and trained to handle the best technology, they were famous for 'achievements'. Drug lords would fall, the corrupt would pay, and the criminals would be behind bars each time LME would give their 'full' attention to a crisis.

It was not like those situations this time. A new and very 'precious' employee had been knocked into sleep, by mail no less. So an assorted collection of analyzers had been sent to do their job. Their assignments were given to them as missions. The orange haired eccentric bubbly beauty (she would deny the last one) and the leggy beauty with long jet black hair were both new to the work. Yet whatever limited missions they had undertaken, they had not failed to impress. They were different from others. It was not surprising for many that they were chosen for an important mission.

Act 2 scene 2

A distraught Kuon was staring into the empty parking lot outside The Blue Jay Cafe. He had never imagined that life as a ghost would be so darn boring, not to mention that the investigation had yet to begin in full force.

He was sitting in the cafe on an empty seat overlooking the road . From that very angle he could easily see the people entering the building that housed his condo. But despite his vigil he had not seen anyone enter his condo since this morning. He had tried to search for the delivery man, but to no avail. He had no idea why anyone would want him out of the way.

It seemed that the news of his 'suspended animation had not reached the public. All the people around him looked and acted normal. But that was understandable; no one would miss him as he was known to lock himself up in his apartment for days together while working on his programs.

The handsome and gentle 'Tsuruga Ren' was sure popular. But alas! Thanks to his work habits, no one would smell a rat regarding his absence.

He let out a long sigh and got up from his table. His fingers tingled from the touch of his laptop, and his neural circuits were on fire; for he knew that if he had access to a laptop with a wifi router, he would alone be enough for his enemy.

He made progress towards the door, not bothering to avoid the human race as they merely passed right through him. The doorbell chimed and two females hurried past him. He felt a sudden push, but that wasn't what made him step backwards.

"Gomenasai!" said the softest voice he had ever heard. As the bearer of that voice raised her head and the orange tresses were pushed behind her ear, he came face to face with her almond shaped, molten gold eyes. His pupils dilated, blood rushed through his vessels, his pulse shot up, his heart did an extra systole and then... It skipped a beat.


	3. Chapter 3

Act 3 scene 1

Is it not strange that even though each day comprises of 24 hours and each minute of 60 seconds, few days and moments seem to last longer than usual?

You might answer the question with various theories; but regardless of tricking the brain, tugging at the heart and pulling its strings is a different matter altogether.

Kuon did not know what just happened. Something (someone to be exact) had simply crashed his brain for more than a few seconds. He stood there gawking like an idiot before he decided to take the corner most table, just diagonal to the direction where** she** was heading.

Scene 2

Kyouko and Kanae headed over table number 6. They were barely on time for their scheduled meeting, thanks to Kyouko's demons who had been running around haywire. They kept on telling their Mama about an evil presence and insisted that she check all the dingy corners. Kyouko obviously obliged; and you can guess how it unfolded. The orange haired lass could be seen checking all the garbage dumps in the alley, guided by her unseen minions. Kanae on the other hand merely huffed; she had accepted this side of her friend long back. However once they realised how late they were, they were soon running a sprint across the block.

Finally inside the Blue Jay Cafe, they found table 6 and walked over (after Kanae saw Kyouko apologise to the air for Lord knows what) . There, seated at the table was the frailest and delicate man Kyouko had ever seen; he had light golden hair, pale skin and when he smiled, Kyouko couldn't help but think of a princess. When he started speaking she was astounded to hear the softest voice.

"Good evening girls, you are just in time. You can call me Mr. Ogata; I am in charge of all the analysts on this mission. Would you like to order something or would you like to be briefed first?"

"Kindly brief us first sir." Both the girls said on unison.

"Well both of you must already know the gist of the case from your assignment letter, still there is much more in this case that meets the eye. Tsuruga Ren , the elite programmer was recently hired by our Corporation for a particular task. The nature of the task is solely known to him and the President of the Corp. Two days ago at 7:50 am his body was found by his neighbor. However after further examination it was revealed that he had been inducted into a state known as 'suspended animation'. Nothing had been found amiss in the crime scene and there was no sign of resistance. However, on his table was an envelope which he had received in the mail. The contents of the envelope were a broken glass eye and a powdered golden substance, the chemical nature of which is yet to be deciphered. Have you followed me until now? "

"Yes sir!" "You know what suspended animation is?" "We have been taught about it in forensic science."

Clearly impressed by the duo Ogata continued.

"There are various organisations in the world, both criminal and corporate that would see Tsuruga Sans alliance with LME as a threat. But no one has taken responsibility of this deed yet. We have purposefully kept his 'state' as a secret from the public eye. You girls are one of the analyzers assigned to this case. You will work independently from others, but there will be group session every Sunday for compiling what everyone else has found. Your aim is to find **who** is behind all this and to extract from the concerned party the antidote for reviving him. All the details are further elaborated in this file. Now if you will excuse me, I should get going."

"Thank you, we won't let you down."

Smiling Ogata got up from his chair and walked towards the door wondering about those two and their rumoured potentials. He sighed as he remembered how badly he needed Tsuruga sans help to make his new theory a reality. There was no helping it, until the person in question remained asleep, his prototype would not see the light of the day.

As he walked by he failed to see the tall handsome figure of Kuon's spirit seated at the table. When Kuon had seen **her** go and sit with Ogata, he had immediately known who she was." So she is an analyst. If she can see me then there is a pretty good chance that I will be returning to the world of living soon."

All throughout the meeting Kyouko had an eerie feeling of being stared at; she shook the feeling off and began reading the case file. The mission was named 'Dangerous Mission'. "Stereotypical" she thought with sarcasm, she would have preferred a name like 'Dark Moon '. She opened the cover page and looked at the passport size photograph of the victim and... **Froze.**

Seated right across her over the table on the far left was the person the photograph. She felt a shiver run down her spine when their eyes met. He smiled a knowing smile at her and winked.

She was contemplating on asking her little demons for exorcism tips when she saw him wink. She gave a start and dropped the menu. She quickly picked it up again and muttered something about danger to women. A blush crept up the neck of the girl who had vowed never to trust a man again. She slowly looked up from the menu hoping he would have disappeared. But he was still there; his brown eyes were staring into her golden ones.

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Thanks a lot ndngr14 , Dany-Chan-K and pwenie for your reviews! I really appreciate the favs and follows. I have just finished with my exams, so will try to update as soon as possible. (^_^)


	4. Chapter 4

Before you read this chapter, let us first begin with a few magic incantations-:

I am thankful for being able to see each day pass.

I am thankful for being in perfect health both mentally and physically.

I am thankful for being surrounded by people and pets (depends) who love me.

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Disclaimer: I do not own Skip Beat! , only this plot.

The italics indicate the concerned character's mind talk.

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Act 4 scene 1

The walls of the Blue Jay Cafe were panelled by wood; the wood was by no means ordinary. It was Walnut wood which had been imported straight from the valley of Kashmir. Souvenirs from Bulgaria, Hawaii, Philippines, Vienna, Italy, Myanmar and Iraq adorned the walls. The tables and chairs were wooden as well. They were cushioned and atop every table were either lilacs or Sakura flowers. The setup was elaborate and provided privacy while still being friendly to the claustrophobic. Such enchanting was the thick aroma of coffee that coupled with the ambiance it immediately drained the stress and strain from any person entering the cafe. Not even the manager knew about the innumerable tormented souls of famous writers, composers, painters & scientists who had found solace within its wooden walls.

But in this case our wandering spirit, who could neither smell the aroma nor was he in any mood to appreciate his surroundings, had just found a little hamster like creature. He was taking immense pleasure in teasing her; he had never seen a girl so capable of expressing such a myriad of emotions in such a short duration.

He winked at her again, waited for her reaction and then stifled his laughter (as if anyone would hear it).

Scene 2

Kanae had simply been assessing and assembling the facts related to the case when she noticed her friend (she would not admit it in public) change her expressions at the speed of a Formula 1 racing car. From the corner of her eyes she noticed how Kyouko initially froze and looked at the empty table in the corner. As if it was not weird enough she got startled and dropped the menu. After what appeared to be a short pause, she jumped up and in the process tipped the flower vase off the table. She was beet red and trembling and not to forget, still staring at the empty table.

_Has Kyouko finally entered the realm of hallucinations from the realm of fairy tales? I know she is not normal and I accept that her demons are real because I have felt their power. But what on earth is this? What if it's Schizophrenia? _

"Hey! Exactly what is going in your mind? "

"Moko San , a...a ...gh...gho...oftttthis(pointing at the picture)..tthere(pointing again but at the tables)...hhe...wwwink.."

Kanae stared at the picture of the victim in front of her and then at her tomato red friend. She then again looked at the photograph and then towards the empty table. She began to speak, but before she could form her words there was a loud... ** CRASH**

Scene 3

Kyouko was sure by now that the form in front of her was not her illusion. When he winked at her again she jumped up resulting in her knee banging against the table and the transmitted force upturning the flower vase. _What a playboy ghost!_

It was then that she heard Moko sans query. But she certainly did not expect that her words, instead of **flowing** would come out as a **stutter**. She had merely begun to explain when she realised that he was no longer sitting at the table. She faced her dear friend for help when all of a sudden... **"Hellllo", **a deep husky voice rang dangerously close to her right ear.

"Eeehhhhh!" **CRASH**

As luck would have it, a waitress was just passing by with a tray full of cappuccinos and apple pie. The poor metal plate along with its contents was soon hurled into the air by the sudden thrust received by Kyouko's outstretched hand. The respective contents fell on the manager, Kanae, the old man on the nearby table and on the carpet (which hailed from Iraq). A singular cup of cappuccino went right through Kuon who was standing merely an inch away from Kyouko, which she did not fail to notice.

Our brave heroine took a deep breath and collected her thoughts. She gave a hard stare to the bemused apparition and muttered, "Meet me outside in five minutes." She bowed a dogeza to the waitress, the elderly gentleman and the manager, grabbed Kanae and rushed outside to the empty parking lot.

Scene 4

The cool breeze that had been blowing that evening had turned chilly as the night crept closer. In an empty parking lot, not far away from the Cafe there stood three figures. Only two out of those three would have been visible to the ordinary eye.

"Who are you mister and what are you up to?"

"I am the person you recognize me to be, I am Tsuruga Ren. I don't know why but for some reason even though I am not dead I have become like this. And what I want you to do is **your job**. How about Miss Analyst lending me her laptop? I am sure your brain cells can't handle this case alone." Kuon's smile was equivalent to a 1000 watt bulb, but Kyouko and her demons could feel the anger emanating from him. Despite the fact that her demon minions were basking in his anger happily, his attitude was not something she could forgive.

Kyouko fumed, frowned and twitched her cute nose. _Who the hell does this person think he is? I might be a newbie but I am certainly not a moron. _

Before she could form a befitting reply her attention was diverted to a scowling Kanae impatiently tapping her foot.

"Moko san, before I start talking to this...this...this **thing** here again, let me explain the situation to you. This person who has been in a suspended animation for two days and **this** person whom only I am able to see are the **same.** Things just pass **through** him and no one else seems to be able to sense him. I know that I do not sound believable but please try to understand. I am **sure** I am not hallucinating."

Kanae's pupils began dilating and by the time Kyouko finished her eyes were as big as an owl's. _Absolutely unbelievable, has this sort of a thing been documented before? I am sure it has not. But somehow the weirdest things happen to me when I am with her. ___Her lids narrowed," Prove it."

Kyouko looked at Kuon... Kuon looked at Kyouko.

"Can you make objects levitate? You know, like in the movie."

"It's not like I did not try, but no I can't. How about answering about the things that only I would know? There must be some of my personal information in that thick folder of yours?

Kyouko nodded in agreement and turned to Kanae. "Moko san please ask a question regarding his life from the case file. I will communicate this **thing's **answer."

Kanae raised her left eyebrow and slowly opened the file. She skipped the first page knowing that Kyouko had been staring at it. Her eyes landed on a certain paragraph and her eyes gleamed.

"Where did Tsuruga Ren live before becoming a successful programmer?"

Kuon smirked, turned towards Kyouko and replied, "4, Oak Building, West Technopolis 73rd Street. It was a small damp and dingy single room apartment with a common bathroom. As you might expect, it was extremely hospitable." Kyouko shuddered at his ever brightening smile and communicated the answer to her friend, without the sarcastic comment.

She saw Kanae's stiff posture soften and the expression in her eyes change. _She is beginning to believe me now, but for God's sake this is tiring. And the proper investigation is yet to start._

Scene 5

The full moon was shining bright, but its attempts to romanticize the night were wasted on the grim mood below. It was 10 pm and the trio was walking along 23rd Park Street, towards Kanae's home.

After having convinced Kanae, they had reached to the conclusion that who better to be aided by on a case, but the victim himself/**it**self?

They had gone through all the delivery details at the post office but had come up with nothing. It was certain that the postman had not delivered the envelope at the Tsuruga residence. Then had it been hand delivered? If yes, then by whom?

"My house is just nearby. Will you be okay going ahead alone Kyouko?" Kanae deliberately eliminated the mention of the ghost with them.

"Sure Moko san, I will be fine. You go on ahead .We will meet in front of the Tsuruga san's apartment in the morning at 7:30. Goodnight." After having bade her only friend Goodnight Kyouko continued to venture towards Darumaya, the little eating joint where she was a tenant.

Halfway across the road, not able to contain herself she asked, "Tsuruga san, is the place you're going to stay far away from here?"

"What are you talking about? I am coming along with you. Who else would lend me a laptop? Besides it would be awfully boring alone." Kyouko did not like his smirk.

Scene 6

Outside Tsuruga Ren's apartment an elderly gentleman was talking over the mobile. "Yes, everything is under control. They did arrive, just as you said they would." Dusting crumbs of apple pie below his collar he continued, "You don't need to worry, they are overrated, these Analysts."

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Loads of thanks to Lucy.m.c, silvermoon170(yup, Ren is going to follow her around :p),VKLOREO23 & Allerya-Sam for reviewing and for all the follows and favs as well. I am so happy that I finally proceeded ahead with the plot. I can't wait to write the next chapter.(*_*)

Please do review and tell me if I have made any mistakes. Thanks for your encouragement. (^_^)

And don't forget to live life at the fullest.\(^_^)/


	5. Chapter 5

One of my teachers once told me once, "God never puts you through situations you are not capable of handling."

So no matter what life throws at you, just keep going and never give up (^_^). Happy reading guys!

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Act 5 scene 1

Life seems so ordinary to us. It's a sad reality that we fail to do justice to the complex delusional maze it presents us with. The contents of the most seemingly ordinary life are enough to leave behind the best of the films ever made. It simply depends how you view it. 'Life' goes through great pains and brings us across an admixture of characters lest we feel bored. How come we fail to appreciate the numerous twists and turns, ups and downs & the medial and lateral shifts it concocts?

Kuon had never expected to be drawn towards a living creature with a force of such magnitude .Yet there he was, staring longingly at Miss Kyouko Mogami. When he had entered Darumaya he had simply assumed that her family owned it. That she was living as a tenant in the single room on the first floor while working part time at the restaurant had come as a surprise to him. He had simply shadowed her to her room like a perfect gentleman.

His eyes had followed her as she swiftly entered her room, without as much as glancing at the wall on the right. Why was the wall on the right of such significance? Well there happened to be a life sized poster of an unidentified(according to Kuon) Japanese male with bleached hair and a haughty smile on it. One would imagine it to be the room of an ordinary teenager had it not been for the darts stuck to the poster. They had been thrown with an excellent aim on the most sensitive parts. However it seemed that the dart game had been abandoned for months and the contents of the wall were beginning to collect dust. The room as such was small but adequate for its single occupant. The rest of the walls were lined with shelves filled with books and in the center of the room were a low wooden coffee table and a fluffy futon. Through the open window fresh air was blowing inside the room and if Kuon could have smelt, he would have been greeted by a faint smell of Asiatic Lilies. As his eyes rested on a laptop bag he gave himself a mental kick. His mood grew foul on being reminded of his present predicament, whoever was responsible for this would have to pay a dear price.

Kyouko on sensing the drop in temperature looked behind only to be greeted by the blinding smile of the self-invited apparition.

"Uhm...Tsuruga san is something wrong?"

"Nothing is wrong Mogami san. I was just wondering when I could use your Laptop. You would have to operate it for me off course."

"Could you give me half an hour?"

"Sure, I will wait downstairs. There isn't much that I can do in this state, is there?"

Before Kyouko could reply the wandering spirit who owned the most brilliant fake smile on Earth, he walked briskly **through** the closed door. She sighed in relief and opened her closet. Sure she had an army of little demons as well equipped and prepared to heed her commands, but being shadowed by a spirit caught between life and death was testing her limits. Not to mention that the **thing** always made her feel unsettled in a very odd way. Yet she could not dismiss the significant advantage that he provided them, who better to have on your side than the center of the mystery himself? Also, he was one of the best programmers of the world and she a newbie Analyst, the opportunities of learning and improvement were endless. She would make use of every opportunity that presented itself. Yes, Mogami Kyouko would become the best Analyst of Japan & achieve her goal of besting Sho at his own game.

Scene 2

In an apartment complex 30 minutes drive from Darumaya the elderly gentleman was still glued to his cell phone. No one knew his real name, but those who did know him referred to him as Rodin. Mr. Rodin looked like an ordinary Japanese office worker in his fifties. His receding hairline, salt-pepper hair, small deeply set black eyes, blunt nose and a lithe frame coupled with an ordinary striped formal suit presented a picture of a common man. What gave him away were his thin lips set in a manner that screamed cruelty. His manners were mild to those whom he wished to deceive, but for the ones who actually knew him he was a deceptively dangerous man with a scalding speech.

He had finally put down his cell phone and was proceeding towards the last apartment on floor number four. The whole complex was dingy and dark. The buildings seemed like hideous creatures of concrete huddled together, ready to pounce. The ominous feeling was further exaggerated by the dark. Even the ordinary looking Mr. Rodin seemed out of place in the building. He walked until he was standing in front of a door marked 18B.

He rang the bell & waited, he did not have to wait long as the door was soon opened by a frail elderly gentleman. He was an old man in his late sixties, entirely bald with two thin streaks of white hair over his forehead, probably all what was left of his eyelashes. He was deathly pale with wrinkled bruised skin, but his most marked feature was his emaciated cachexic built. He was tall even though he was stooping low, yet his weight would not have been more than 45 kg. He had opened the door partly when he suddenly stopped and remained still like a statue, it was clear that he was not pleased on seeing this gentleman. Mr Rodin grinned and thrust three heavy manila coloured envelopes in his hands," The address is already there on one the envelope; you can deliver it within the next two days whenever you please. The address of the other two will be sent to you later along with the date of delivery. Oh yes! You will receive the payment after the delivery, like always. I know you hope to never see me again but I am afraid I can't assure you that. You know the terms of the contract so I won't bother warning you about the consequences should you ever open your mouth. Well then Mr Takeshi I will take my leave. Stay fit and healthy."

He was soon gone; but a change had overcome the man residing in 18B, the hollow expression in his eyes had disappeared only to be replaced with agony and a hint of regret.

Scene 3

Back in Darumaya Kuon and Kyouko were sitting by the coffee table. Kuon had spent the past 30 minutes brainstorming and formulating a plan of action. However, all his thoughts had evaporated when his gaze fell on our spirited protagonist. Milky white skin graced her wet lustrous sunset coloured shoulder length hair, her soft pink lips& enchanting honey coloured eyes, combined with the slightly transparent white oversized shirt and pink shorts; all were more than sufficient to throw the controlled and mask like persona of Tsuruga Ren off balance. Poor Kyouko was fidgeting under his intense gaze, unaware of the effect she was having on him.

She chose that moment to switch on her laptop, lay down her notes, open the folder and fake a dry cough. Slowly Kuon's senses began returning to reality; soon the wheels of his brain were beginning to rotate at their usual rate. "Let's begin Mogami san."

"Please describe to me when and how you received that envelope."

"It was around 6:30pm and I was working on my laptop. The doorbell rang and by the time I reached the door the envelope had already been slipped under the door. I assumed that the mailman might have slipped it and didn't bother to check if anyone was outside. I went back and threw it on the table. But I heard something inside the envelope break so I rushed and opened it. Next thing I know is that I was in a hospital looking at my own body."

"Tsuruga san can you think why anyone would want you out of their way?"

"It's no secret that for the past three years I have been creating programs which are of significance to national security, stock exchange, trade relations and data compilation. I have also created probability models which compare extensively studied situations to lesser known ones. In a job such as mine I know it's impossible not to rub someone the wrong way, but I can assure you that I have never pissed off anyone enough to have myself murdered."

Kyouko seemed to ponder a bit on the statement, it seemed as if she had a query but she did not deem it appropriate enough to be asked, yet for the sake of the investigation it was necessary. She decided to ask, "Tsuruga san please don't mind if my questions regarding your private life offend you. But there isn't much about your personal life here in the folder. As a matter of fact there isn't anything at all about your life five years prior to today. Are you sure you don't have any enemies in your personal life? Any jilted lover perhaps? Can you remember anyone being jealous enough to take such a step against you?"

Kuon had expected such an answer, yet he could shake off the discomfort he felt while he answered a well practiced lie. Somehow it seemed wrong to hide the tumultuous history of his earlier life. He convinced himself that whatever was happening now had nothing to do with the life he had led as Kuon. "Mogami san my life history is at best insignificant. I have always treated my girlfriends nicely and I was never the first to break it off. I don't think anyone would be jealous enough to harm me. Although I would like to confess that Tsuruga Ren is not my real name" He had added a little truth in the last to shake off the nagging feeling he had.

"Were you ever involved with any Yakuza, Mafia, Don or any other criminal organizations?"

"Now that you mention it I do remember being approached by three organizations simultaneously 3 year ago. At that time I was with three more programmers working on a probability model. They were unusually secretive, all of them wanted us to create a probability model of the world economy, they were clearly withholding information and the pay was ridiculously high. So we researched the organizations and checked their credentials. It turned out that they were actually different branches of a crime syndicate that hid behind the mask of corporate industry."

Kyouko continued to question and Kuon aka Tsuruga Ren continued to answer. As both you my dear readers and me your humble narrator, neither of us our analysts or programmers, I shall give a short summary of what followed.

Kyouko questioned Kuon on the lines of 'why', 'when', 'how'& 'whom'; she further went through his mails, contacts, the contract form with LME, researches, finances & past programs (all on his insistence)

Scene 4

When it was finally time to sleep Kyouko laid out an extra futon near the foot of her own. She wasn't sure whether ghosts slept at all; she was still too tired to ask. To be alone with a stranger at night wasn't a comfortable disposition, to top it all this **thing** kept on oscillating between a gentleman's persona and 'The Emperor of the Night'. At times she found his gaze too intense for comfort; best description for it would be 'predatory'. Yet for some unknown reasons she found herself getting slowly acclimatized to the 6 feet 4 inch terribly good looking apparition. So at 1:38am, when she finally drifted to her kingdom of dreams she wasn't at all bothered by her translucent roommate's presence.

Kuon on the other hand knew he could not sleep; though he still tried his might at it. Tired at his failed attempts he substituted sleep with watching Kyouko sleep, discreetly I might add .At 4:30 am he felt that it would be a crime to stare at a girl 4 years his juniors any further. Plus somewhere along the lines of investigation she had got it into her head that he was her 'sempai'(senior); he was only trying to help her in computers like a friend would, but no, sempai was worse than being 'just friends'.

He got up and walked through the walls towards the rear end of the house. Soon he was standing in a pen filled with sleeping hens. He sighed and sat on clean clearing (as if he would have gotten dirty).

"Hey! Mr Ghost! Why are you looking so morose? Did your girlfriend leave you?"

Kuon's pupils dilated, he shook and pinched himself. When he realized that it wasn't a dream but in reality, he sighed and replied," The problem is itself the fact that I am a ghost. I am not technically dead yet though."

"So would you prefer being completely dead and travelling towards next life?"

"No! Not at all, as a matter of fact I have a lot left to accomplish in this life. I also have a chance at getting back at the people who have done this to me."

"Then why is your face like a tragedy queen? Just chill and let out all your worries to Bo."

Kuon would never be able to get over this bizarre situation. But there he sat as dawn approached the sky, explaining his problems to a rooster.

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Hello guys! Sorry for the delay in updating; it somehow turned out to be longer than expected. In the last Chapter I made the mistake of turning Kyouko from a heroine to an opioid(heroin), sorry (=_=)

Thanks Allerya-Sama, Silvermoon170, Lucy. m. c., J Luc Pitard, Mischief101, Guest, Locklt4ever for the reviews and favorites. Thanks a ton for the follows. You guys are awesome. Tell me if there are any mistakes and keep on egging me forward (I am a chronic procrastinator). I also thank my roomie for proofreading my stories and never complaining despite the torture I put her through.

Have a great week! \(^_^)/


	6. Chapter 6

This is a short background overview of the alternate universe the characters have been placed in. Thank you for reading and please do review.(^_^)

"The best way to get approval is not to need it."

Hugh Macleod

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**Act 6, Scene 1**

The world that Kyouko and Kuon inhabited was by no means ordinary. The earth has undergone a rapid transformation at the dawn of the 21st Century; the age of arms had exited and ushered an era of technology and science. Knowledge in this world was the power, literally. The professions which no one would have ever imagined 30 years back now formed the core of the society. With the spread of internet, information and easy accessibility of all corners of the world, international borders had liquefied. The whole world was a one big family which acted like a single organism in the pursuit of food, which in this case was money and power. Unfortunately such an environment proved conductive to the growth of criminal organisations as well. In the parts where such organisations flourished an underground government existed and controlled everything like a puppet master.

Among the various new professions which had sprouted in the last decade, the most prominent, feared and respected were the Analysts. They were individuals with a smart, intelligent and highly functional mind with determination and courage to match. Of course not all had all the traits, but a set of skills which conformed to the above standards made you eligible to become an Analyst. An Analyst was an investigator who was called in when the situation had exaggerated to an extent which was beyond the conventional solutions. Analysts either existed as small individual groups, solo freelancers or company hired professionals; being hired by a well known company ensured a steady flow of work and money(Kyouko's scenario), nevertheless there were many whose exceptional independent work had earned them fame. As opposed to the intellect dependent thinkers like the Analysts there lay other professionals known as the Agents. They stemmed essentially from the same branch of the profession as the Analysts but were considered to be more 'action' oriented. They fulfilled the tasks deemed impossible by ordinary definition. Their fame had been tainted by notoriety and for a good cause too; it was not unusual to find them engaged in tasks of questionable repute. Another profession which had evolved was that of the programmers. They were like scientists researching, propounding and testing theories. They converted what was merely theoretical into practical and applied it to be of use. In this world dominated by technology and science they propelled the development further towards the future. They were the essence of change and valued akin to gold.

Presently in this tale Mogami Kyouko is an Analyst, Tsuruga Ren a renowned Programmer and Shoutaro Fuwa or So as he calls himself happens to be the upcoming rising star of the Agents. Despite the differences and superiority complex, these professionals form a tight-knit community spread over the entire world. It's like a separate dimension existing among the ordinary one; complete with its own newsletters, popularity polls and annual calendar shoot.

This seemingly complex world is built on a simple fabric. To put it simply it's more like rats in the pursuit of cheese. The rats are people who use science, information and technology as a means of attaining the 'cheese', which is power. Doing it within permissible levels (as is done by agents and analysts) is fine; but exceeding it would categorize one as a criminal and eventually agents or analysts will put a stop to it.

So that night as the stars twinkled and a cool breeze blew, an apparition and a rooster sat deeply immersed in their talk. Kuon's spirits had lifted ( pun unintended) and he was more hopeful than he had ever been. There was something disarming about discussing your problems with a rooster ,as opposed to a human. To speak without the fear of being judged is liberating in itself.

"You could be an excellent psychiatrist you know little fellow?" he remarked. Bo merely nodded as he drifted into sleep.

It was a quiet night with the silence disturbed only by the cicadas. But was it the quiet before the storm?

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Thank you Snowalice, J Luc Pitard,silvermoon 170 & sdmo88 for your reviews. I highly appreciate the favs and follows that I have received. Thanks a lot guys, you rock! \(^_^)/


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